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Fastholf d'Armagnac
Fastholf d'Armagnac was the High Cleric of Nergal until 1000 AE when Nergal sent him to test Yoshimuriko's prowess in battle. The two men had a fierce duel, but eventually Yoshimuriko defeated Fastholf and became the next High Cleric of Nergal. Fastholf had an Innate Ability which allowed him to switch between his human and werebear forms. Biography Early Years Fastholf was born to the wealthy House of Armagnac, one of the three powerful merchant families alongside the House of Seneron and the House of Whitehawk that were the de facto rulers of the merchant city of Etheril in Northern Libaterra. Although the Armagnacs were the weakest of the three houses, their members were shrewd businessmen who, like their competitors, used cutthroat tactics to get what they wanted on the market. Fastholf's desire for power as he was nearing adulthood led him into the Clergy of Nergal who saw potential in his cunning and ruthlessness. He was taken under the wing of the High Cleric of Nergal himself who made him his assistant, and he served in this capacity for years while still keeping up the facade of being a mere businessman interested only in trade and expanding the merchant guild's reach throughout Libaterra. Rose of the Desert Fastholf ended up getting involved with the stirrings in the Tronin Desert during the events of the Rose of the Desert as per his master's plans, and it was one of the many elaborate steps the Clergy of Nergal took to plunge Libaterra into a state of civil war which would benefit Nergal's cause. Distreyd Era When the Libaterran Civil War between the Locken Loyalists and the Rebels was about to reach a turning point in 1000 AE, Fastholf was contacted by Nergal himself who ordered him to prove his strength to him by facing Yoshimuriko, the feared general of the Rebels, in single combat. Fastholf thought this test to be an insult to his devotion to Nergal's cause but carried out the God of War's will nevertheless. Fastholf and a select group of clerics of Nergal ambushed Yoshimuriko who was riding towards Trinity Gask. He challenged Yoshimuriko to a duel then and there, and the prideful general accepted the challenge. The battle between the two battle-hardened warriors was fierce and initially even, but ultimately Yoshimuriko's years of experience and cunning proved to be superior even to Fastholf's. Yoshimuriko was stronger than Fastholf in human form, but faster than him in bear form, and didn't seem to miss a beat in changing tactics. In bear form, Fastholf couldn't get a shot in, and in human form, his attacks didn't do any serious damage, whereas Fastholf could feel himself weakening from numerous shallow cuts. Before Fastholf could be fully beaten, however, Nergal took over his body and made him face Yoshimuriko again this time with divine power backing him, The God of War wanted to test Yoshimuriko's skills further before he would decide whether to discard his present acolyte for someone potentially stronger who could speed up the spreading of chaos throughout Libaterra and then the world. Death After a fierce battle, Yoshimuriko bested the possessed Fastholf in combat and slew him, making Nergal's essence return to the High Plane. Yoshimuriko thus took the title of Master of War from Fastholf and became the new High Cleric of Nergal. Aliases and Nicknames ; High Cleric of Nergal : His rank in the Clergy of Nergal. ; Master of War : His title and what he often liked to call himself. Appearance His werebear form resembled a somewhat humanoid, bipedal bear who could use his claws to grab onto weapons and smash things. His size grew when he shapeshifted into this form, towering over even the tallest of men. Personality and Traits As a high cleric he was arrogant and confident in his abilities as a warrior. He saw all his challengers being below him and was prideful of his involvement in sparking the Libaterran Civil War. Powers and Abilities Fastholf knew how to use a staff effectively in battle. Innate Ability: Fastholf could shapeshift into a werebear. In his normal human form, he was lightning-quick but very weak. In werebear form, he was as strong as a brown bear, but the tradeoff was that all that extra bulk slowed him down. In other words, he could be very fast, or very strong, but not both at the same time. Relationships Pyrrhus Fastholf made business with the arms dealer Pyrrhus and used him as his chief negotiator in overseas trade. Yoshimuriko Fastholf saw Yoshimuriko as a mere political leader, believing himself to be superior to him. His arrogance proved to be his undoing, however, as Yoshimuriko used his pride against him during their duel and slew him, taking Fastholf's title of Master of War to himself. See also *Clergy of Nergal *House of Armagnac *Pyrrhus *Rose of the Desert *Shapeshifting *Yoshimuriko Category:Characters Category:Clergy of Nergal Category:Humans Category:Libaterra Category:Third Age